100-Ounce Gold Nugget in Long Beach: First L.A. Area DisplayA big gold nugget discovered in Northern California last year will make its first public appearance in Southern California, February 3 - 5, 2011, at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo.

News-Antique.com - Jan 28,2011 - (Long Beach, California) – The headline-making 100-ounce gold nugget recently discovered in Northern California will make its first public appearance in Southern California at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expo (www.LongBeachExpo.com), February 3 - 5, 2011. Open to the public, the show will be held in the Long Beach Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Ave.

"It weighs just under 100 troy ounces -- about nine pounds avoirdupois, and is the largest verifiable California gold nugget now in existence. It's nicknamed the 'The Washington Nugget' because it was discovered near the famous Mother Lode Gold Rush mining camp near Washington, California in Nevada County last March," said Ronald J. Gillio, Expo General Manager.

It has a collector value estimated at $250,000 to $400,000, and will be publicly exhibited for the first time in Southern California courtesy of Fred Holabird and Don Kagin of Holabird-Kagin Americana of Reno, Nevada.

Another featured exhibit will be the finest known suriving 1792 U.S. half disme, a historic early American silver coin that was authorized by President George Washington. Acquired for a record price of $1.5 million in 2007 by the Cardinal Collection Educational Foundation, the coin will be displayed by the Foundation and Stack's-Bowers Numismatics on Thursday and Friday, February 3 and 4.

During the three-day Long Beach Expo more than 1,000 dealers will be buying and selling rare coins, paper money, stamps, postcards, historic documents, antiques, estate jewelry and other collectibles. Some dealers will provide free, informal appraisals for visitors.

A free gold coin door prize will be awarded each day to a lucky visitor, and a children's treasure hunt will be held on Saturday, February 5. Nearly a dozen educational programs and collectors' club meetings will be conducted in conjunction with the February Long Beach Expo.

Heritage Auction Galleries of Dallas, New York and Beverly Hills (www.HA.com), the world's largest collectibles auction house and official auctioneer of the Long Beach Expo, will hold a public auction of U.S. coins during the show.

The public hours are Thursday and Friday, February 3 and 4, 2011, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, February 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

General admission is $8 (good for all three days); $6 for members of any coin or stamp club who display a valid membership card; and $4 for seniors 65 and older and for children ages 8 to 16. Free admission for children ages 7 and younger. Discount coupons are available online at www.LongBeachExpo.com.

For additional information, call Expos Unlimited at (805) 962-9939 or during the show dates call the Long Beach Convention Center at (562) 436-3636.

The Long Beach Expo is a division of Collectors Universe, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLCT).